It's so tough to choose just one. So, I'm going to choose three! :P
1. Wii Remote
Despite all the flack Nintendo gets for the whole "waggle" thing, it can't be denied that the Wii Remote was a major revelation. Whenever it was well implemented, the Wii Remote was amazing. It feels great. Games like Wii Sports and Skyward Sword are, I think, really remarkable experiences.
Nintendo really changed the whole conversation with the Wii Remote. They emphasized the idea of expanding the gaming market to attract lapsed gamers or completely new players who had never played a video game before. PlayStation Move and Xbox Kinect were two innovations that came in direct response to the Wii Remote. I suppose we can argue about the lasting legacy of these things - and I'm about to draw a long bow - but if you look at what's now happening with VR on consoles, I think it's clear that, at least conceptually, the entire industry understands the importance of providing completely new and different game experiences.
In other words, it's now not just about improving graphics for the sake of pretty graphics - pretty graphics are no longer the major differentiator that they once were, because there's a broad expectation that games will have great visuals.
Now, developers and publishers have to really think about the overall experience they are providing - is it different than what came before? Is it truly immersive? These are important questions, and they've always been at the heart of how Nintendo operates. I just feel that Nintendo has been schooling the industry for a long time, and the Wii Remote was a great example of that.
2. Nintendo 64 Controller
It's interesting to me that a lot of people don't seem to like the Nintendo 64 controller. I can see why; it's huge, it can feel a bit unwieldy, and the analogue stick movement degrades over time (the plastic housing around the stick is highly vulnerable to wear and tear).
But to really appreciate the N64 controller, you have to go back to when it was new. There had been games with 3D graphics, but the Nintendo 64 was really the first mainstream platform that featured games with true 3D movement. The analogue stick on the Nintendo 64 controller was arguably one of the most revolutionary steps Nintendo - or any company - ever took with video game hardware up until today.
The simple idea that, in Super Mario 64, you not only had full 360 movement, but you could make Mario tip-toe, walk, jog, and sprint...that felt remarkably fresh and different in the '90s. There had never been anything like it. Nintendo was literally teaching the entire industry - and all the players - what a 3D game actually is and how movement in a 3D space should work.
In all honesty, nearly every game today can - directly or indirectly - thank Nintendo, the N64 controller, and Super Mario 64 for the way they play and feel, at least to an extent.
Nintendo hedged their bets a bit with the N64 controller. It was designed to be played in 3 "modes" or configurations (left-aligned, centre-aligned, and right-aligned). In practice, most games used the right-aligned method (where your left hand was on the centre prong, your left thumb on the analogue stick, and your right hand on the right prong with access to the C-button cluster, A and B buttons).
It was versatile, it was highly innovative...and frankly, it was revolutionary. And if you play a game with a fresh analogue stick housing (i.e. a refurbished N64 controller), it still feels great, even today. :-)
3. GameCube Controller
This one needs a big honourable mention from me, primarily because it's historically really interesting and it's also the most comfortable controller I've ever used (at least in terms of traditional "two-handed" controllers).
From a historical perspective, the GameCube controller sits halfway between the N64 controller and the Wii Remote. It's a really clever design.
Whereas the N64 controller had grown quite large and complex, the GameCube controller was simultaneously very restrained (i.e. much more streamlined) and significantly more functional. Remember how those beautifully comfortable shoulder triggers had the "floor" in them, where you could keep pressing down to trigger the "click"? It was masterful and felt great.
Then you had the button cluster on the right, which in my opinion, is one of the cleverest designs I've seen on a game controller. You had this big A button in the centre - like a home position for your thumb. You had the kidney-shaped X and Y buttons surrounding it, and a small circular B button on the left.
The idea behind this was that a player could feel their way around the controller without having to look down at the buttons. For those of us who are experienced gamers, this may seem like a non-issue. But try handing a controller to a family member who has never played a game before! You'll notice they get easily confused about what to press and when. It can be frustrating and not a great experience for them.
The GameCube controller at least tried to cater for this by having a friendlier, more ergonomic design. But due to its clever design, it didn't really sacrifice the functionality required to be more suitable for game enthusiasts.
My only gripe is the slightly flat Z button, which provides unsatisfying feedback - it's a bit soggy with no firm "click" feeling. That is, for me, the only thing that stops this controller from being utterly flawless.
Log in to comment